Romney could face fourth straight loss

Maine Republicans will on Saturday evening announce the results of precinct-level straw polls taken at 36 of 39 caucuses being held across the state’s 16 counties. (The other three caucuses are scheduled for later this month or next month).

The same rules apply here as in the handful of other non-binding caucus states. The state’s 24 delegates to the Republican National Convention will be selected at conventions on the congressional-district and statewide levels and aren’t bound to any particular candidate.

But the straw polls taken by the party at the precinct caucuses where the delegate selection process begins provides an indication of the preferences of the pool of party activists from which the eventual delegates will be chosen.

And wherever there is a contest to be won or lost, some candidates will show up.

Earlier this week, Republican frontrunner former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was contending with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who was contesting the straw poll votes in Minnesota and Colorado as well as a delegate-stripped, non-primary in Missouri.